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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: roll · bore · mark · drill · firm · degree · key · pop

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — temperature
  4. key — the most important part
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — the tool
  7. firm — steady
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. firm — decided
  10. pop — soda
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. roll — a cake
  14. mark — a grade
  15. drill — army training
  16. pop — music
  17. bore — to drill
  18. firm — a company
  19. key — for a lock
  20. pop — to visit
  21. key — in music
  22. bore — to tire
  23. degree — an amount
  24. roll — a list

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com